* A slew of better-than-expected earnings, including from
big U.S. banks, have led analysts to now forecast that profit at
S&P 500 companies fell just 0.1 percent in the third quarter,
less than the 0.7 percent drop they expected at the start of the
earnings season.

* Goldman Sachs was up 1.4 percent ahead of its
earnings scheduled before markets open.

* A report from the Labor Department is expected to show
consumer prices edged up 0.3 percent in September after rising
0.2 percent in the previous month. The data, due at 8:30 a.m. ET
(1230 GMT), will be in focus after Federal Reserve Chair Janet
Yellen suggested last week that the central bank could allow
inflation to top its 2 percent target.

* The dollar fell from the seven-month high it held
for the past five days after Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer said
on Monday that the U.S. economy was very close to its employment
and inflation goals, but warned on any rash changes to monetary
policy.

* The weaker dollar, along with analysts expectations for a
rebalance in the oil market lifted prices of the commodity by 1
percent, while gold prices were on track for their best
day in nearly one month.